The present invention related to line posts for securing marine vessels and especially to a line post for attachment to a dock or pier to which a vessel line can be rapidly coupled and uncoupled without the necessity of tying knots.
In the past marine vessel lines have generally been attached to posts supporting docks or piers by tying the rope to the post extending above the boardwalk. The boat itself generally has a plurality of cleats in which to attach the boat line to the boat in a manner that the line can be readily adjusted as to length. A variety of cleats for securing lines rapidly and firmly have been suggested and may be seen illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,900 for a Jamming Cleat, U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,391 for a Sure-Hold, Non-Slip Rope Fastener, U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,934 for a Rope Anchor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,243 for a Marine Cleat and Rope Guide, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,782 for a Device for Securing a Line. In one prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,690 a line-post coupling and marine mooring or towing device is provided in which a marine line may be coupled and uncoupled with a post without the necessity of tying or untying knots. This latter patent illustrates a post having a ball attached to one end of the post and a supported ring wrapped around the post under the ball so that a rope already having a loop therein can be slipped under the loop and over the ball to be supported by the post. The connecting of the rope to the post works very much like puzzles that are solved by getting a string into or out of a loop and might be confusing to a person not familiar with the system of hooking the line to the post. In addition, for large vessels, such a system would require a very heavy support for the ring to prevent it wearing or corroding and breaking.
The present invention related to a line securing post which can be rapidly attached to a dock, pier or to the top of a post for rapidly securing a line with or without a loop in the end of a line and which is simple to use and to produce.